Communications Specialist, Executive & Board Communications

Communications Specialist The Communications Specialist will craft clear, compelling, and visually engaging communications for IT leadership and Board of Directors audiences—especially CFO-level stakeholders—translating complex technology, risk, and investment narratives into concise executive presentations, pre-reads, and talking points. This role supports executive meetings and events with high standards of professionalism, branding alignment, and message clarity. Key Responsibilities Executive & Board Presentation Development Develop CFO-ready narratives and presentation decks that communicate strategy, investment cases, operating metrics, risk/compliance posture, and business outcomes—tailored for senior executive and Board audiences. Create "summary-first" storylines with tight executive structure and optional backup detail, enabling efficient leadership discussion and decision-making. Partner with content owners (IT leaders, program managers, risk/compliance leads) to extract the "so what," sharpen the ask, and align messages to executive expectations. Content Strategy, Storytelling & Message Clarity Translate technical material into executive language by identifying the target audience, what matters to them, and how much detail to include—then shaping a narrative that keeps leaders engaged while landing key messages. Create outlines and content flow that reflect what has been presented previously, what changed, and what decisions or updates are required for the current forum. Visual Communication & Executive Standards Produce polished, on-brand slides: clean layouts, data visualization, and crisp executive wording that meets senior-level expectations for clarity and readability (e.g., minimum font guidance when applicable). Ensure decks are "presenter-driven" and easy to navigate in live executive forums, with a clear summary slide and supporting backup slides for Q&A. Executive Communications Operations Support executive meetings/events with end-to-end communications coordination (pre-reads, deck readiness, version control, archival/standalone deck packaging where needed). Maintain a structured repository of executive communications assets (templates, standard story arcs, reusable visuals) and continuously improve quality and consistency. Core Deliverables Board/ELT/CIO Staff presentations (strategy updates, quarterly reviews, risk and audit updates, investment proposals) Executive pre-read packs and leadership talking points Standardized templates and role profiles/scorecard-ready structures aligned to internal role documentation formats Presentation storyboards/outlines and meeting-ready "one-slide summary + backup" structures Key Stakeholders & Working Relationships IT Leadership team (CIO staff, functional leaders, program owners) Executive Services / GIS Communications partners supporting executive meetings and events Cross-functional partners (Risk, Audit, Finance, Compliance, Data Governance) depending on agenda Qualifications Required 5+ years in executive communications, corporate communications, management consulting communications, or a presentation-specialist role supporting senior leaders. Demonstrated ability to create executive-ready PowerPoint presentations and written narratives for CFO/Board-level audiences. Strong ability to translate complex content into clear executive communications (message discipline, brevity, structure). Proven stakeholder management: can interview busy SMEs, distill content quickly, and drive to high-quality deliverables under tight timelines. Skills & Competencies Executive storytelling & synthesis: creates compelling "so what / now what" narratives and decision framing. Visual communication: strong slide design, layout, and data visualization for senior readability. Audience-first communication: tailors content based on who you're communicating to and what level they are. Operational excellence: version control, deadlines, and quality gates for exec-ready materials. Collaboration & facilitation: pulls clarity from diverse stakeholders and aligns messages. Tools (Typical) Microsoft PowerPoint (advanced), Excel (charts), Word (briefs), Teams/SharePoint (collaboration & asset management). Adobe Creative Cloud Performance Metrics Executive satisfaction with decks (clarity, readiness, usefulness in decision forums) On-time delivery of pre-reads and final decks for leadership meetings Reduction in "rework cycles" via stronger first-pass synthesis and alignment Adoption of standardized templates and improved consistency across leadership presentations Cardinal Integrated